Posted on 05/20/2018 10:24:39 PM PDT by Cronos
Militants from the Islamic State (IS) group have been evacuated from an enclave in the southern suburbs of the Syrian capital Damascus, activists say.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a temporary ceasefire had come into effect following heavy bombardment by the Syrian military.
...army operations in the area were nearing their end and insurgent lines were collapsing.
Al-Ikhbariya TV said a new plan is underway to storm IS-held areas in Hajar al-Aswad, near Yarmouk. The channel’s area correspondent said the coming hours would be “decisive” for restoring government control in Hajar al-Aswad, but didn’t mention Yarmouk.
President Bashar Assad’s forces launched an offensive against the militants in southern Damascus a month ago. The offensive has brought more than 70 percent of the camp under government control. The capture of these southern neighborhoods would bring the entire capital under government control for the first time since the war began in 2011.
...IS has been driven from virtually all the territory it once controlled in Syria and neighboring Iraq, but is still present in remote areas along the border in Deir el-Zour province.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Not exactly. Is Afrin no longer in Syria, Is it now part of Turkey?>>>
And where did ISIS forces go? They were relocated to the region that Turkey captured in Syria called Afrin. Who were the people that were living peacefully in Afrin before? Kurds, Alevi, Syriac Christians, Ezidi’s, Turkmen and a few Armenians. All of those are now homeless and their livelihoods are gone. They had to flee to survive and the ones who did not leave? They are selectively being told to leave or die. And of course their property is taken. The entire region was pillaged by the Turk militias which include 3,000 ISIS, many al Qaeda and other Jihadi's
A picture of where the ISIS Terrorists were relocated?
Seth Frantzman @sfrantzman
https://twitter.com/sfrantzman/status/993408315043536896
This is a must-read report with clear maps relating to the re-settlement of IDPs from eastern Ghouta into #Afrin; the #Kurdish area that Turkey and Syrian rebels took over has become one of the main centers of moving IDPs #Afrinnews
—
Syria Forced Displacement Data (May 2018)
Syria Forced Displacement Map1 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DclLQhdXcAAmrda.jpg
Syria Forced Displacement Map2 https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DclLQhPXkAEv52n.jpg
Thank you for the ping.
Correct. THAT is where ISIS was transplanted, under Turkish control. So they are being sheltered from destruction by Turkey. And the peaceful residence of Afrin (Efrin) are living in the fields and hills of another region to the East. Ethnic cleansing and mass displacement of 300,000 residents in time span of a couple of days. Turkey is guilty of huge numbers of war crimes in this process.
In June 2013 Obama approved the first direct U.S. lethal military aid to rebel brigades that had been vetted by the CIA. By spring 2014, the U.S.-made BGM-71E anti-tank missiles from the 15,000 transferred to the Saudis began to appear in the hands of selected anti-Assad groups. But the CIA imposed the condition that the group receiving them would not cooperate with the al Nusra Front or its allies.
That condition implied that Washington was supplying military groups that were strong enough to maintain their independence from al Nusra Front. But the groups on the CIA’s list of vetted “relatively moderate” armed groups were all highly vulnerable to takeover by the al Qaeda affiliate.
The "rebels" were jihadis
I disagree with the bombing of a dictator who protects Christians
My stance since 2011 is the same as today - Assad is an evil sob, but he protects the ancient Christians of Syria. He is the lesser evil
Who do YOU want to replace Assad with?
Putey has given Erdogan the go-ahead to keep Manbij in return for Assad to keep the central plain. Turkey wants no free Kurdistan because if that happens then the eastern one-third of Turkey goes into this new state (similar to the condition of Serbia versus Austro-Hungarian controlled Serb areas in 1914.
Note: Some BBC reporters are based in Turkey. They generally do not note where the reporter is based in the article header because of security reasons.
BUT, there is no free press in Turkey. There has never been, from the beginning of the Ottoman Empire.
There are no journalists in Turkey, only state approved paid propagandists. All the journalists that were in Turkey are in jail, dead or in exile. No source in Turkey can print anything critical of the Erdogan regime. If they do they will quickly be jailed or worse.
So the lack of reference about Afrin is not accidental.
I’ve seen many Reuters articles that were clearly propaganda because of this reason.
Yup, they are protected by the Turks now.
There is only a small ISIS controlled strip in the Deir Ezzor region. It is much smaller than Afrin. So to say “virtually” is an error.
This is not over yet.
You mentioned that Assad gave Manbij to Turkey? We still hold it and show no signs of leaving that area.
The Kurds are still killing Turks and the FSA in Afrin. A week ago the number of them killed was almost 20.
If and when the Turk’s are not able to deliver air support, the Kurds (with or without the US) will retake Efrin.
They destroyed about 45 Turk tanks during the 2 month assault of Turkey on Efrin, before the SDF moved out to prevent total destruction of the City.
Erdogan will warmly give them sanctuary in Afrin, where from they will later be used by Erdogan against the Kurds.
Report from 4 hours ago.
I was unaware of it.
Knowing the Palestinian competency when it comes to saying thanks, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, and Syria have had to put up with their hatred for decades.
It would be par for the course if they joined in with ISIS in Syria.
Israel in the same category as those Arab countries?
Israel is a Western, Democratic, Liberal, free, Capitalist, open, entrepreneurial society. Hate is not taught. Hate does not exist except always being forced to defend their lives against the Zombie PALEOstinians.
Israel has Bedouin, Arab, Druze, Caracessian, Christian, Muslim, Assyrian and a host of other faiths that can practice their faiths freely.
Sorry but you need to balance out your statement with the truth.
There’s a twist with the Yarmouk ‘rebels’:
Qalaat Al Mudiq; @QalaatAlMudiq
#Pt. Turns out convoy which left S. #Damascus pocket has been divided. 500-600 civilians (women & children) reached Greater #Idlib while other vehicles w/ #ISIS fighters remain untracked.
Rumor is that the terrorists were sent to SE Syria, I assume to break Iran’s ‘corridor’ to Lebanon. Also they’ll be closer to the Sunni states supporting them.
But their families will be in Idlib- hostage.
What a horrible war.
When you read my posts, don’t respond unless you can grasp what is presented.
I did not rank Israel with those countries on any other basis than that each of them had done favors for the Palestinians and the Palestinians had in some way betrayed each of them
Lebabonon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt have had dealings with them and treated them decently. None the less the Palestinians had turned on them.
Israel allows supplies to pass into Palestinian territory through it’s checkpoints. It also allows Palestinians to work in Israel. It also provides utility services to the Palestinian areas. Despite this, the Palestinians plot to destroy Israel.
This is the reality I addressed. Your tangent was uncalled for.
This was/is reality and does not reflect poorly or inaccurately on Israel at all.
I said nothing of that kind. Don't put words in my mouth -- what I said was Putey has given Erdogan the go-ahead to keep Manbij in return for Assad to keep the central plain -- Assad has no say in the matter.
Then you say "There is only a small ISIS controlled strip in the Deir Ezzor region. It is much smaller than Afrin. So to say “virtually” is an error."
If it is a small strip, it IS virtually all.
That is good what the Kurds are doing. But they don’t stand a chance unless the US kicks Turkey out of NATO
no doubt about that - but the IZ are a snake that will come back to bite Erdogan
It would be, if you don’t count Efrin (Afrin).
But Including the ISIS and other Jihadi enclave in Efrin is is not a small area. Before the kicked 300,000 out of the area, It was estimated to be about a million people.
The truth is is that the Arab nations that have “hosted” the Palestinians have not integrated them into their societies.
You’re right when you say Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan and others all set up perma-refugee camps and tried to help them.
Wherever the Palestinians have set down roots, they have fomented civil war in and amongst themselves and with their surrounding neighbors.
Jordan, 1970 Black September tried to oust King Hussein.
Lebanon, 1970-82 Civil War and war with Israel.
Syria, repeated violence with factions in Syria. The Yarmouk refugee camp is now being obliterated by the Syrians and Russians.
Egypt, Rafach, terror and aiding Islamic Jihad in Sinai.
Israel, pulled out of Gaza, gave autonomy to PLO, now HAMAS.
So, in essence we agree I just did not like the putting Israel in the Arab camp.
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